Book of Nehemias 591
and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the
wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites,
and of the singing men, and of the porters, and
the firstfruits of the priests.
6 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem,
because in the two and thirtieth year of Artax-
erxes king of Babylon, I went to the king, and
after certain days I asked the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood
the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make
him a storehouse in the courts of the house of
God.
8 And it seemed to me exceeding evil. And I
cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out
of the storehouse.
9 And I commanded and they cleansed again
the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and
the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the
Levites had not been given them: and that the
Levites, and the singing men, and they that min-
istered were fled away every man to his own
country:
11 And I pleaded the matter against the mag-
istrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the
house of God? And I gathered them together,
and I made them to stand in their places.
12 And all Juda brought the tithe of the corn,
and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.
13 And we set over the storehouses Selemias
the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and of the
Levites Phadaia, and next to them Hanan the
son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were
approved as faithful, and to them were commit-
ted the portions of their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, for this thing,
and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have
done relating to the house of my God and his
ceremonies.
15 In those days I saw in Juda some treading
the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves,
and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and
figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing
them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I
charged them that they should sell on a day on
which it was lawful to sell.
16 Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who
brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they
sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda
in Jerusalem.
17 And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and
said to them: What is this evil thing that you
are doing, profaning the sabbath day:
18 Did not our fathers do these things, and
our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon
this city? And you bring more wrath upon Israel
by violating the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates
of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath day,
I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I com-
manded that they should not open them till af-
ter the sabbath: and I set some of my servants
at the gates, that none should bring in burthens
on the sabbath day.
20 So the merchants, and they that sold all
kinds of wares, stayed without Jerusalem, once
or twice.
21 And I charged them, and I said to them:
Why stay you before the wall? if you do so an-
other time, I will lay hands on you. And from
that time they came no more on the sabbath.
22 I spoke also to the Levites that they should
be purified, and should come to keep the gates,
and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also re-
member me, O my God, and spare me according
to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
23 In those days also I saw Jews that married
wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of
Moab.
24 And their children spoke half in the speech